Timber frame owner builder in NJ

[EddieWalker]

As it is right now, the bathroom is 10' 8" x 15' 7"

The door from the bedroom to the bathroom will have to stay where it is, but I may move the closet door if it can make a real improvement to the bathroom. I don;t care for the toilet in its own room. I know that is very popular right now, I just don't really like it. My mom and step dad have that in their house so I'm not just saying "I think I don't like it". I could definitely see doing a zero entry shower, I think they look real cool, but I don't know how that effects the floor system or anything... Also, my wife and I are 30 years old, I am sure there will be at least one bathroom remodel before we are in mobility scooters ;-)

And moss, I had 2 brothers as a kid, but now, we have 2 daughters. So, i'm stuck with girls The bathroom design upstairs is supposed to be girl friendly, one can be showering or using the bathroom and the other can use the vanity to get ready. At least thats the concept.

Are those the inside measurements after sheetrock is installed? Are you positive those are the right dimensions? That's huge. I've been playing around with some design ideas and in every case I have room left over for a bigger closet. Can the wall between the bathroom and master closet move to make the closet larger?

Eddie

 

[MossRoad]

Are those the inside measurements after sheetrock is installed? Are you positive those are the right dimensions? That's huge. I've been playing around with some design ideas and in every case I have room left over for a bigger closet. Can the wall between the bathroom and master closet move to make the closet larger?

Eddie

Or, he could move that front entry coat closet closer to the front door and make kind of an alcove entry for the bedroom door so the door is perpendicular to the flow of traffic in the house and the contents of the bedroom aren't visible from the living room if the door is left open.

 

[emanaresi]

Eddie, yes. It's huge. If you look back at the original plan, there is a lot of extra space. A very big aisle between tub and vanity and that extra 2 feet or so by the door. I can move any of those interior walls, so the master suite is about 18' x 28'. Have at it.

 

[EddieWalker]

Here is what I would call the basics, leaving your door and window placement the same. With bathrooms, I always try to put the vanity as the first thing you see when you walk in the door. The cabinet, counter, faucet, mirror and light should be beautiful. The shower is designed that the spray of the shower goes away from the opening so you don't need a door. It's 3' 6" deep and about 7 feet long. With a 4ft vanity, that should leave about 30 to 32 inches for the entry into the shower. Inside dimensions for the toilet is 3ft. For the tub, I'd go with something free standing.



Eddie

 

[emanaresi]

Eddie, wow, that's not bad at all. I may tweak it a little. We want a big soaker tub and she wants it platform drop in. But with all that extra closet space, I could tweak that wall over some. Definitely gives me a different path to think about! And it gets rid of the vent I needed in the exterior wall!

 

[tkappeler]

Where in NJ are you?

Any consideration of installing a fire sprinkler system in your home to protect your family?

There have been some prior threads on here about the viability/affordability/purpose of sprinklers. There are many opinions on them, all with a lot of passion behind them. As a (retired) firefighter, I believe that they are less about saving lives than protecting property. Good working detectors and a proper exit plan are extremely important.

 

[tkappeler]

Here is what I would call the basics, leaving your door and window placement the same. With bathrooms, I always try to put the vanity as the first thing you see when you walk in the door. The cabinet, counter, faucet, mirror and light should be beautiful. The shower is designed that the spray of the shower goes away from the opening so you don't need a door. It's 3' 6" deep and about 7 feet long. With a 4ft vanity, that should leave about 30 to 32 inches for the entry into the shower. Inside dimensions for the toilet is 3ft. For the tub, I'd go with something free standing.

View attachment 341206

Eddie

Nicely done, Eddie. Where you when we were building ours? :laughing:

 

[emanaresi]

Eddie, thanks again. I took it and put It in my software and moved some things around. I'll try to post it in a bit. I had to get a bigger tub in and my wife really wants a tub with a platform. Not a free standing tube. So that means we needed a little extra room. I think I made some good compromises to make it work.

As far as the sprinklers, I left that alone on purpose. First off, aesthetically they would ruin a really nice timber frame. Second, it seems we've entered this society where if something could even be imagined or expected to be slightly safer we must all be required to have it. Don't get me wrong. The safety of my family is very important to me. But, I just don't see the viability or value of a sprinkler system vs the costs.

And to answer the earlier question we are building in bass river township, nj.

 

[NY_Yankees_Fan]

There have been some prior threads on here about the viability/affordability/purpose of sprinklers. There are many opinions on them, all with a lot of passion behind them. As a (retired) firefighter, I believe that they are less about saving lives than protecting property. Good working detectors and a proper exit plan are extremely important.

They are a life safety device, I have been training firefighters for over 30 years and find they have very limited knowledge in fire protection ie sprinkler systems. I can say this because I am also a firefighter.

Yes I agree fire detection is important but how many smoke detectors do not work because of no batteries, or a dead battery. How many people have the same detector they they installed 20 years ago? Did you know smoke detectors have a life span of only 10 years and have to be replaced? Sprinklers and smoke detection together give you the best possible survival in a fire.

If I was constructing a home that will last many generations and paying the big $$$ you are paying I would consider it. It will cost you less than the cost of the $$ you will pay for the counters in your kitchen.

If sprinklers are more about property protection why do the building codes require them anytime you are sleeping ie. hotels, hospitals, nursing homes, college dorms, apartments, condos, etc. Do you recall the fire at the Seaton Hall University dorm in 2000 where 3 college kids were killed, they had smoke detectors installed, it did not help them. http://www.nytimes.com/2000/01/20/nyregion/3-killed-in-fire-at-seton-hall-dozens-of-students-are-hurt.html?pagewanted=all&src=pmAs a result of the fire NJ was the 1st state to retrofit automatic sprinklers into all places college students sleep. Did they do this because of property protection NO it was done because of life safety.

If our governor did not cave to the construction industry $$$ you would have no choice but to install sprinklers in your new home. He struck down the law to require home fire sprinklers in the 1st few weeks in got into office.

The other problem we have is the fire loading in our homes have changed significantly in the last 20 years, way too plastic which results in a fast moving fire. The time we have to get out of our home in a fire is a lot less. Check out this video of old vs new home furnishings and how fast a home now burns, giving you less time to get out of the home.http://youtu.be/aDNPhq5ggoE The room flashes over in 3 minutes with new furniture and takes almost 30 minutes with older cotton based furniture. Big difference in time you have to get you and your family out of the home. That is why smoke detection and sprinklers give you the best opportunity to get out alive.

So how far away is the fire department and do you have a fire hydrant within 1000' of your home? How long will it take for the FD to get to your home? You can use the same PEX piping for your cold and hot water to feed the sprinkler system, here is an example. http://www.uponor-usa.com/Misc/Applications/Home-Fire-Sprinkler-Systems.aspx

 

[EddieWalker]

I understand about the tub. It's all the little details that make it yours. I had several ideas, including two vanities and a room for the toilet. It's easy to use up a lot of space, but more fun for me to fit it into a smaller footprint. I also feel that you can never have too big of a closet. Even if it's not all used, it' always nice to have to empty space on a shelf.

Something to consider in the cost of a bathroom is the vanity. You cannot beat the price of a box store vanity and counter. But if you want to go with an odd size, or something long, then you have to go custom, which can easily double or triple the cost. I always suggest to clients to consider every option available with box store vanities and special order ones that they can get for you. Then get granite for the counter. As mentioned earlier, two bowls in a four or five foot vanity is too tight and you end up without any counter space. If you want two bowls, you need to go custom. I drew a plan that had an 8 foot vanity, but I didn't like how the room became a hallway, so I discarded it.

For me, I have to have every detail worked out in a plan before I'm comfortable moving forward. What you see when you open the door is very important, but so is flow and the placement of furniture. If you've ever been in a house that doesn't have a good flow to it, or the furniture is awkward, you know that it doesn't matter how nice the house is, it's still a mess.

Eddie